What list, you ask? That would be my list of the greatest gaming experiences I've had since I became a hardcore gamer. Super Mario Galaxy nows stands in the same light as Metroid Prime, Half-Life 2, and Resident Evil 4. Here's my story:

I bought Galaxy on launch, like many of you did, and was excited to play the game considering the massive amount of hype it had garnered before its release. I enjoyed the game thoroughly, of course, but it never quite gave me that epic feeling of true greatness that everyone else was describing. I beat the game with the minimum requirement of 60 stars, and intended to eventually go back and get the remaining 60 stars to complete it 100%. I felt that the game never gave me a real challenge or satisifaction, and that became my main gripe.

Two weeks ago, I finally decided to pop Galaxy back into my Wii. I started a brand new game, rather than using my old file, just to experience the game from beginning to end. In my quest to 120 stars, I wasn't able to bypass the more difficult stars as I was before. The game finally offered a challenge, something I crave in today's age of incredibly easy games. Those last 20 stars were the most difficult but also the most satisfying.

The game certainly isn't without its flaws though. The camera system, while better than both Mario 64 and Sunshine, could still use some work. The story is unoriginal and what you'd expect. Once again, Nintendo dissapointed me with a lack of voice acting, something that should be standard in today's age of gaming. These small flaws bring my score to a 9.5/10.

Alhough this game wasn't absolutely perfect, it was amazing, fun, and fresh from beginning to end. The level of polish is unprecedented and the game delivers on everything you'd hope a platformer would. After further analysis, this game easily lives up to its massive hype level. Nintendo once again delivered an amazing gaming experience and easily the best game I've played all year.

For those unaware, Zack & Wiki is a stylish puzzle game released for the Wii console in November 2007. Upon release it received high critical praise from all video game websites and publications. It uses the Wii remote in many innovative ways and is easily one of the Wii's greatest games.

Despite the high acclaim, the game has sold poorly as many predicted. Now this leads to the question, why does this game do so badly while other games of lesser quality such as Mario Party sell millions of copies? The first is the odd name and unknown nature of the franchise coupled with the lack of advertisements. Do yourself a favor and look past the name and try something new for a change. How many times have you visited Mario's Party? Don't you wish to have fun with someone else? Why not give Zack & Wiki a chance? Another reason I believe the game has failed up until now is the cartoon art style and seemingly "childish" look. Don't let this fool you. The game's style works perfectly for the game and this is not a children's game. It can get very difficult at times, even for intelligent adults. It will give you a lot of fun, challenge, and the feeling of accomplishment.

You may be asking, why is it necessary for me to buy this game? Well for one thing, if this game doesn't do well Capcom may give up on the franchise and a sequel may never come. But on an even grander scale, this game represents what may (or may not) come to the Wii in the future. If this game sells badly while shovelware and games such as Mario Party sell well, it will send developers the wrong message. Why should Nintendo bother to develop new franchises when they can just release another Mario spin-off and make millions? Why should third parties go out of their way to create new and innovative franchises when they can just port PS2 games or string together a bunch of minigames and slap a Wii logo and $50 pricetag on it?

Show developers that Wii owners such as yourself are smart consumers and can see past obvious ploys to make a quick buck. Show them that you want new and innovative franchises instead of the same old thing with motion controls attached. It's a very simple formula, if you stop buying these games developers will stop making them. If you start buying games like Zack & Wiki, we will get more games like Zack & Wiki, and be introduced to new franchises.

It's not too late to make a difference. Buy Zack & Wiki. Tell your friends and everyone you know on the internet to buy Zack & Wiki. Not only will you get to enjoy one of the Wii's best games, but you will also be telling developers that you are a smart consumer.